Drawing upon decades of experience, RAND provides research services, systematic analysis, and innovative thinking to a global clientele that includes government agencies, foundations, and private-sector firms.

The Pardee RAND Graduate School (PRGS.edu) is the largest public policy Ph.D. program in the nation and the only program based at an independent public policy research organization—the RAND Corporation.

Health Insurance Markets

Using the COMPARE microsimulation model, researchers estimated the effects of reduced enrollment of young adults (invincibles) in the individual health insurance market. Results indicate that reduced enrollment of invincibles is associated with only modest premium increases.

An estimated 85 percent of people who enrolled in the Affordable Care Act's exchanges in 2014 received tax credits. Now, the Supreme Court will determine the legality of these subsidies in 34 states. Eliminating them will result in a substantial disruption to the market.

For people who buy subsidized coverage through marketplaces created under the ACA, those who live in areas with more plan offerings may have to pay a higher premium to receive the same deductible when compared to consumers in regions with fewer options.

Eliminating government subsidies for low- and moderate-income people who purchase coverage through federally run health insurance marketplaces would sharply boost costs and reduce enrollment in the individual market by more than 9.6 million.

Eliminating government subsidies for low- and moderate-income people who purchase coverage through federally run health insurance marketplaces would sharply boost costs and reduce enrollment in the individual market by more than 9.6 million.

For people who buy subsidized coverage through marketplaces created under the ACA, those who live in areas with more plan offerings may have to pay a higher premium to receive the same deductible when compared to consumers in regions with fewer options.

Eliminating subsidies that help low- and moderate-income people purchase coverage through government-run health insurance marketplaces would sharply boost costs for consumers as much as 43 percent and cause more than 11 million Americans to lose their health insurance.

Reduced young-adult enrollment in the individual health insurance market created under the Affordable Care Act would lead to modest premium increases; however, eliminating tax credits would substantially increase premiums and reduce enrollment.

Eliminating subsidies that help low- and moderate-income people purchase coverage through government-run health insurance marketplaces would boost costs for consumers as much as 43 percent and cause more than 11 million Americans to lose their health insurance.

This month marks the one-year anniversary of the health insurance Marketplaces—the online exchanges for buying and selling insurance created by the Affordable Care Act. Last year, after a near-disastrous start that included massive website failures, the Marketplaces rebounded to a surprising success.

Early evidence from a nationally representative survey suggests that the Affordable Care Act has led to a substantial increase in health coverage. Among the newly insured, most gained coverage through employer-sponsored insurance or Medicaid.

Despite pervasive challenges associated with the rollout of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the administration remains optimistic about its fate. Critics, however, have seized upon the recent mishaps as evidence of the ACA's inevitable demise.

Although one of the primary objectives of the ACA is to achieve near-universal health insurance coverage, the Congressional Budget Office projects that 30 million residents, more than 10 percent of the nonelderly population, will remain uninsured after the major provisions of the ACA take full effect.

Although three options put forward to help people keep their old health insurance plans all would cause some disruption of the risk pools that are important to the insurance exchanges, none of the changes would be severe enough to threaten their viability.

Although three options put forward to help people keep their old health insurance plans all would cause some disruption of the risk pools that are important to the insurance exchanges, none of the changes would be severe enough to threaten their viability.

2014 will be an important year for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Health insurance exchanges will offer people new ways to buy insurance. Medicaid will expand in many states. And people without “minimum essential coverage” may have to pay a fee.

One of the chief aims of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is the expansion of insurance coverage to individuals who at present either cannot afford it or choose not to purchase it. Unfortunately, many Americans lack the financial literacy needed to navigate the numerous and complex options thrust upon them by the ACA.

Topics

Related

Researcher Spotlight

Project Associate

Evan Saltzman is a project associate at the RAND Corporation. Saltzman is a modeler on the RAND COMPARE microsimulation modeling team and has played key roles on numerous studies assessing the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). He has also applied his operations research skills to problems…

Director, Economics, Sociology, and Statistics Department

Carole Roan Gresenz is a senior economist and director of the Economics, Sociology, and Statistics research department at the RAND Corporation. Her research interests and expertise include health care organization and finance, health disparities in medical care, and access to and quality of care…

The RAND Corporation is a research organization that develops solutions to public policy challenges to help make communities throughout the world safer and more secure, healthier and more prosperous. RAND is nonprofit, nonpartisan, and committed to the public interest.